Kayla Reed- Main character. She is attractive, outgoing, and very artistic. She's seventeen years old. She's not a muscular girl, but not scrawny either. She has long blonde hair till the middle of the book, when she chopped it off. She's strong, because she doesn't have the tattoo. She's a leader, and not afraid to fight for what she believes in. She has a lot of nerve, and she is very independent. She's daring, and very smart.
Mfumbe Taylor- He's very important in the book. He's Kayla's boyfriend. He is an extremely caring person. He has tanned skin, brown eyes, and brown hair. He is handsome and muscular. He goes out of his way for Kayla, and takes good care of her. He is tough and brave. He's also seventeen years old and does not have the tattoo. He's friendly and knows all the right things to do. He isn't afraid to stick up for himself and his beliefs. He's very funny and outgoing.
Amber Thorn- She's Kayla's best friend in the book. She's very pretty, fashionable, and funny. She's tall with long, curly hair. She got the tattoo, before Kayla discovered the dangers of it. She's the type that lives in the moment and doesn't think before she acts. She's very judgemental, but also very kind. She and Kayla are very close, and have a bond that is very rare.
Zekeal- He's very cute, but he betrays members of the Decode Group. He was a friend of Kayla's, and her first lover. He's a member of the Decode Group, but turns out to be a member of the Tattoo Gen. He tries to make Kayla get the tattoo, and he persuaded Nedra to get it.
David Young- He's a senator, who organized a resistance group named Decode. Later, he quits leading the group, because of the new law. While he was still leading the group, he wrote to them often, telling them what was going on in the global 1-offices.